By Diliff – Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about Trafalgar Square in London


 

Trafalgar Square is one of the best-known places in London. This street goes through most of central London.

It acts as the entrance to the main shopping district in the city centre and the west of the city too.

There are famous landmarks and monument at Trafalgar Square namely the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and Nelson’s Column.

Hyde Park may overshadow this square, but there are so much more history and interesting facts about the square.

Most first-time visitors in London stop by this square.

It is considered to be the centre of London and is also where distances are measured.  

Below are some 10 interesting facts about the Trafalgar Square in London.

1. Nelson’s Column is at the centre of the Square

Nelson’s Column is right in the centre of Trafalgar Square.

This is the main attraction in the square and was built in 1843.

The column commemorates the contributions of Admiral Horatio Nelson. He played an important role in the victory of the British at the Battle of Trafalgar.

This column 169 feet and 3 inches tall, towering everything else in the square.

Four relief panels have been used to decorate the pedestal of the column.

These panels represent Nelson’s famous battles at The Nile, Copenhagen, Cape St. Vincent and his death at Trafalgar.

This column was not included in the original plan of the Square. According to Charles Barry, the architect, the column would diminish the visual impact of the National Gallery.

2. The square is in the centre of London

By Theworldgymnast1 – Wikimedia

It is interesting to note that Trafalgar Square is actually right in the centre of London.

This fact is however not backed by any geographical reasons.

The reason why it is considered to be the centre of London is because of Queen Eleanor’s funeral procession in 1920.

One of the crosses was placed in the area where the Square is currently located. The cross was known as Charing Cross.

The Charing Cross is the location used to measure the distance of other locations to London.

3. Trafalgar Square was once home to many pigeons

By Billy Hicks – Wikimedia

Trafalgar Square used to be famous as a home for thousands of feral pigeons.

Feeding the pigeons became a popular activity at the Square.

They were however seen as a nuisance and feeding them at the Square was banned.

Believe it or not, a hawk was employed to keep the pigeons away.

Their method worked and soon enough there were no pigeons at the Square.

It became much cleaner since the pigeon droppings made the place dirty and ruined some of the historical monuments at the Square.

Concerts and other public events are now held at the Square.  

4. The smallest police box is found in Trafalgar Square

This police box was built in Trafalgar Square in1926. It was meant to and blend with its environment.

The police would keep a low-profile during protests and other gatherings held at the Square.

It is located at the South-East corner of the square and has a round black lamp above it.

The box is no longer used as a police post, it has since been converted into a cleaner’s storeroom.

This tiny historical feature is a picturesque addition to the square.

5. The fountains were built to keep away crowds

By Theworldgymnast1 – Wikimedia

When the architects were designing the Square, they were aware that large crowds would gather there.

They, therefore, figured out ways to keep them at bay. One of the ways was to build fountains in the Square.

These fountains were built much later after the square had been built.

They were designed by Charles Barry in 1845. The fountains made it difficult for protesters to gather.

Two of the original fountains were replaced in the early 20th century.

During the summer drought in 2012, the fountains were turned off to save water.  

6. There are Lion guards at Trafalgar Square

By Jose L. Marin – Wikimedia

Other than Nelson’s Column at Trafalgar Square, the four bronze lions are also part of the main attraction.

These lions at the base of Nelson’s Column represent Horatio’s heroism.

They were designed by the famous sculptor Sir Edwin Landseer. The lions were moved to the square in1868.

There were other lions at the Square that were made from stones. They were not considered to be attractive.

The sculptor was Thomas Milne. They were later sold to Titus Salt, an industrialist from Yorkshire.  

These four bronze lions stand guard by Nelson’s column.

7. Norway gets the square a present every Christmas

The Trafalgar Square lights up every Christmas with a beautiful tree.

Norway religiously sends a tree as a token of appreciation for the help they received from the British during the Second World War as well as allowing Norwegian prince Olav to live in exile in London during the war.

The Christmas tree is usually about 60 feet tall and is decorated with 500 white lights.

This tradition by Norway has been religiously practised since 1947

A visit to Trafalgar Square in December is always delightful because of the huge fully illuminated Christmas tree.

8. The National Gallery is in Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery is located to the north of the square.

It was founded in 1824 and has one of the world’s most impressive picture collections, including works by artists like Rembrandt and Raphael.

King George IV persuaded the government to purchase 38 major paintings.

9. The original fountain was donated to Canada

By Diliff – Wikimedia

The original fountains built for Trafalgar Square were handed over to the Canadian Government.

You can find them in Ottawa and Regin.

The old fountains were replaced in the late 1930s to commemorate two famous British Admirals who fought in the war.

One can be found in Ottawa’s Confederation Park and the other one on the east side of the Legislative Building in Regina.

10. Hyde Park is at the centre of London’s traffic

Trafalgar Square is made up of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

There are about 17 bus routes that pass across the square.

In 2003, the square was renovated and the street in front of the National Gallery was closed and pedestrianized.

The retentive wall was also destroyed and a giant staircase was built leading up to the Gallery.

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